One Piece: Radicals of the Azul Sky
by Azul-Radical
Summary: 300 years after the Pirate King Straw Hat Luffy's death and the end of the Great Era of Piracy, a new generation is about to begin. With the development of Steam Technology and the invention of airships, now begins the Age of the Sky Pirates.
1. Chapter 1: Awaken, Azul Dreamers

One Piece: Radicals of the Azul Sky

Prologue

The golden era of piracy has ended. Upon locating One Piece, the Straw Hat Pirates disbanded forever as each of its members went off their separate ways in order to pursue and live out their dreams. Sailing off into the horizon upon his legendary ship, the _Thousand Sunny_, the cheerful laughter of the new pirate king, Monkey D. Luffy, echoed across the horizon as he set off for adventures unknown. The word of a successor to the legendary Gol D. Rodger spread quickly across the Grand Line, as well as to the Four Seas beyond. Despite efforts to capture and subdue him, Monkey D. Luffy managed to evade the Marine's attempts to catch him, living out to a ripe old age before eventually returning to his hometown in order to settle down, his adventurous spirit finally seeming to have been sated. Knowing his death was near, Luffy reflected upon his numerous adventures with his nakama, a wide grin upon his face, knowing that his death would mark the end of the great era of piracy. Despite this fact, he could die happily, knowing that soon, a new era of adventure and exploration would soon be beginning. When asked what this new era would bring, the Pirate King merely laughed merrily and pointed upwards, responding his successors would soon be sailing on an 'entirely different ocean even he couldn't have dreamed of.'

And indeed…times were slowly changing. Around the same time the Straw Hats conquered the Grand Line and found the legendary treasure, One Piece, founder and master of the esteemed Steamcats Guild, Kei Aladrac finished his work on a truly extraordinary new invention that would revolutionize the way people traveled forever; The world's first fully operational flying ship. Dubbed as the _Advent Horizon, _Kei set sail in this new invention of his, accompanied by his close nakama, and former member of the Straw Hat Crew, Jeran Kedamono. Exploring the dangerous and uncharted skies, the duo ushered in a new era of exploration, soon learning that the legendary isle, Skypiea was not the only floating island in the world, and that several other mysterious landmasses existed in the explored world of the White Seas.

How these mysterious landmasses managed to float within the sky without anything to support them remained a mystery for a good many years. However, as Jeran and Kei continued to explore these floating sky islands, they eventually stumbled upon what appeared to the ruins of an ancient civilization which once existed in the sky…a civilization dating far back before the Void Century, the formation of the World Government, and the creation of the Poneglyphs. Amongst these ancient and crumbling ruins, the duo discovered a mysterious, blue-colored crystallized ore of the likes of which the world had never seen before. Harder then diamond, and unable to be melted or refined by normal means, the origins of these crystals were unknown, however as time went on, the two discovered that they held a strange and mysterious power…one that potentially surpassed even those of the Devil Fruits. The powers granted by the crystal seemed to vary from person to person. Unlike the Devil Fruits, which granted a single ability to a person regardless of who consumed them, the crystals granted each person their own unique ability that was completely their own, based upon the core nature of their hearts, minds, and spirits.

The crystalline ore was eventually given the name 'Azulyte' due to its deep, blue color, and it was soon theorized that these crystals were not some common ore that could be found in the ground anywhere, but rather the extremely rare, purified essence of the sky in and of itself. It was also theorized that it was the Azulyte which enabled the floating isles of the ancient civilization to remain in the air without crashing to the oceans below.

300 years have passed since then, and as time passed, a new era, revolving around the use of both Azulyte and Steam-Technology has begun. Airships have replaced the galleons, battleships, and caravels of old as new explorers take to the sky, seeking to solve the mysteries of the ancient 'Azul Civilization.' Extremely rare and difficult to find in its purest form, even a small crystal of Azulyte can fetch millions of Beli when sold to the right person, sparking fortune seekers, historians, explorers, and pirates alike to take to the skies in search of it, some seeking the mysterious power it gains, some wanting to study the nature of both it and the ancient Azul Civilization, and others simply seeking to make a quick profit. Seeking to profit from this new era as well, the World Government has also taken to the skies, building a new army of Aeronauts in order to oppose the Sky Pirates which now run rampart across the world.

Prevailing over all the other legends and stories which tell of the unexplored Sky Isles, however, is the one which speaks of Arimyth, the floating capital of the ancient Azul Civilization. A treasure trove of rare artifacts, Azulyte, and knowledge…it has long since been the goal of Sky Pirates and Aeronauts alike. The city's true location, however, remains a mystery to this day, for no one lives who can claim to have been there themselves. There are some who question its existence in the first place, claiming it to be merely a dream chased by fools who wish to revive the ancient era of piracy and exploration.

Dream or not, however, the legends of Arimyth and the Azul Civilization have sparked a new era of adventure, lead by the power of Azulyte, and mysteries left unsolved by the crew of the _Advent Horizon_. Meanwhile, a youth by the name of Orlandu Rikona looks to the skies, clutching a mysterious, blue-crystal pendant left to him by his father, the legendary Sky Pirate Dyne Rikona…the one said to have come the closest to discovering Arimyth and solving the ancient mysteries of the Azul Civilization. Though young, he is determined to follow in his father's footsteps, picking up where he left off. The sky is the limit…who knows what the future may hold?

Chapter 1

The Boy Who Looked to the Skies. Awaken, Azul Dreamers!

"Yosha…" Orlandu Rikona sighed deeply to himself as he slammed the cover down over the engine of the steam-powered aircraft he was currently working on constructing, wrench in hand and face and clothing smeared with grease as he took a step back to admire his work, nodding to himself in a satisfied manner. "She'll fly this time around, I just know it. I've got a good feeling. Today's the day I leave this town behind and take to the skies."

Standing roughly 5'10'' with slender, yet well-toned build and deep, azul-blue colored eyes, the 19 year-old youth was dressed in a loose fitting aviator's jacket with black-colored fur lining the collars and sleeves, a worn-looking cargo jeans, and a pair of short black, steel-toed boots with leather fastenings. A pair of aviators goggles rested securely upon his forehead, the leather strap parting his black-colored hair slightly and making it stick up in short, messy-looking spikes. Smirking slightly to himself, the youth made his way over to open the sliding door which served as the entrance to the large warehouse which was both his home and his workshop before climbing into the pilot's seat of his homemade aircraft and taking the throttle, a wide grin upon his face.

"Prepare for takeoff in three…two…one…go!" Starting the aircraft's engine, Orlandu's grin widened as the twin propellers on either side of the plane began to spin and come to life, the familiar buzzing sound of the engine filling the warehouse as the aircraft slowly began to inch its way forward. Fortunately, Orlandu's home was located in a wide, open field just outside of his secluded hometown of R'oak, one of the many newly discovered Sky Islands that had only just recently been settled and populated by new explorers seeking to make a living in a new area of the world, meaning there would be plenty of room for his takeoff. Pulling down on his the throttle, a loud "Yahoo!" would escape the youth's lips as the aircraft slowly began to rise into the sky, the wind rising up under its wings and carrying it above the trees and simple wooden buildings which made up the town of R'oak.

_Alright! _The youth thought to himself with a grin. _I've finally done it! I've finally built my own airplane! Today begins my adventure as a brave Pirate of the Skies! _So absorbed was Orlandu in this new feeling of exhilaration that he didn't notice the meter on his aircraft indicating the fact that he was slowly losing altitude. _Just you wait, dad. I'll prove the legends about Arimyth and the Azul Civilization are true. I'll show those bastards that you were some reckless moron chasing a foolish dream. I'll- _

Orlandu was shaken violently from his thoughts as his aircraft would suddenly give off a violent lurch, dropping several feet at once as he took in a sharp gasp grasping the throttle in a desperate manner. "S-shit! This can't be good…!" The youth remarked to himself, clenching his jaw nervously as a small bead of sweat began to form on his brow, his eyes widening slightly as he saw the ground coming at him fast as his plane continue to lose altitude. "Damn…definitely not good!" He decided as he pulled the throttle violently to the side, trying to steer the aircraft away from the town, not wanting to crash amongst the buildings and risk injuring not only himself, but any innocent villages that could be potentially caught up in the crash as well. Wincing slightly, the youth managed to steer the plane back towards the field he had taken off from, managing a rough landing as the aircraft veered out of control, eventually coming to a halt after slamming nose first into a nearby tree, the aluminum frame being dented significantly from the impact as a bit of smoke rose out from under the hood.

"Whew…" Taking in a deep sigh, Orlandu reached up to wipe the sweat from his brow, lifting his goggles back up from over his eyes once more as he hopped out of the aircraft to survey the damage. "Talk about a close call. Looks like my plane is scrapped again though. I guess it's back to the drawing board." Before he could come up with a plan of action for what to do next though, a loud voice would shout at him from a distance, causing the youth to wince visibly.

"ORRRRLLLLAAANNNDDDUUUU!" The voice belonged to a young woman of about 17 years of age, dressed in a simple white-colored tank-top and cargo jeans, her mid-length, reddish-brown colored hair falling down slightly past her neck, her bangs parted to both sides of her face to keep them from falling down and obscuring her dark-brown colored eyes. Upon her back she carried a large, wooden boomerang, which she promptly drew from its leather holster and used to smack the youth over the head with, positively fuming with anger. "What did I tell you about building these hair-brained flying machines of yours? You're going to get yourself killed one of these days. What would I have done if you had been hurt in the crash, huh?"

"O-ow! O-oi! Noa…!" Orlandu muttered a string of curses beneath his breath as he clutched as injured noggin, a few tears of pain forming in his eyes as a rather large lump formed where he had been struck. "I-isn't it a bit contradictory for you to smack me over the head while saying that? I was completely fine until you showed up…"

"Tch…" Replacing her boomerang back in its holster, Noa shook her head, sighing in a hopeless manner. "You really are an idiot, aren't you? In any case, I'm glad you're alright."

"You kiddin' me?" Orlandu replied with a grin. "It'll take more then a little crash to take me out. I am the son of the famous explorer and Sky Pirate, Dyne Rikona after all."

"That's what worries me." Noa groaned. "You're dream of following in your fathers footsteps is gonna kill you one of these days. Do you have any idea how hard it is to sail the skies? This isn't like the age of One Piece and the Pirate King where you can just hop on any old ship and go off on an adventure! Aviation is no simple task!"

"I know, I know! You remind me on a daily basis." Orlandu sighed, shaking his head slightly. "But still…I gotta try. I've poured over every single book in my father's library about flying. This is the 39th plane I've built with my own hands…39 attempts…and 39 failures. But each time I get closer. One of these days I'll get off this island and I'll finish what my old man started." A determined expression crossed the youth's face as he reached down to clutch at the crystal amulet he wore on a leather string around his neck…a memento from his father. The only item that had been left to him.

"That pendant…" Noa looked down over at the youth, her expression softening. "Your father gave it to you before he left on his own adventure, right? Back when we were both little kids."

"Yeah. I was only 3 years old back then." Orlandu replied. "He told me it was a 'magic rock'. That it would protect me if anything bad ever happened to me. And then he just left. I never saw him again…but I heard the stories…and I could proudly say…that he was my old man."

"A magic rock, huh? Do you really think it could be Azulyte?" Noa asked. "I mean…the stuffs extremely rare, right? Even a tiny shard is worth millions and millions of Beli."

"Nah. It's a fake. It's gotta be. After all…" Orlandu chuckled softly. "Azulyte's supposed to grant power to whoever carries it. I've been wearing this damn amulet my entire life, and it hasn't done me a bit of good. Hell…I can't even build a working plane. But…" A slight grin crossed the youth's face. "I'll get there someday. I know I will."

A slight chuckle escaped Noa's lips at this, a gentle smile crossing her face. "Just make sure you don't die before then, eh? I won't forgive you if you do." She remarked. "I need to get on home. Come by later, alright? You can't cook, right? I bet your getting sick of eating canned food…I'll make you a homecooked meal for once."

"Seriously?" Orlandu replied, his mouth watering slightly at the mere thought of getting a decent meal for once. "Right on!"

Noa rolled her eyes slightly at this. "Honestly…you go all sparkly eyed the instant anyone mentions food. Still…" She shook her head slightly. "…We're alike in a lot of ways, aren't we? After all…both of our parents died pursuing their dreams exploring the skies."

"Yeah…but your father's work was a lot more productive, right?" Orlandu asked. "He's the one who charted most of the skies around R'oak and South Breeze in general, right?"

"Y-yeah…I guess he did." Noa remarked, her expression turning somewhat serious at the mention of her father. She quickly resumed he typical cheery demeanor, however, as she turned to head back in the direction of her place. "Anyway, I'll go make the preparations for dinner. Meet me at my place in about an hour or so, ok?"

"Sounds good." Orlandu replied. "I still need to get my plane back over to the warehouse so I can fix her up and tweak the design again anyway."

"Honestly…you never can get your mind off of flying for very long, can you?" Noa sighed before turning around and heading in the direction of her home. "I'll see you later, ok?"

"Right! See ya!"

Shaking her head slightly, Noa chuckled softly to herself as she made her way back towards her home, lifting a finger to her chin as she went. "Lets see…what should I make tonight? Orlandu's a big eater so I might need to go shopping before hand. Good thing I still have some Beli saved up from my part-time job…" She remarked to herself, making up to the front door and taking out her key, only to find that the entrance was cracked open already. "That's odd…I don't remember leaving the door unlocked…"

Pushing the door open, the young girl lifted an eyebrow. The only other person who had a key to her home were her aunt and uncle, who occasionally stopped by to check in on how she was doing. Could they have possibly visited while she was off talking to Orlandu. "Hello…Aunt Marie? Is anyone here?"

The girl's eyes would widen slightly, her face going slightly pale with shock, however, as she would find, not her aunt waiting for her, but rather a rather tall, stout, somewhat fat, and seedy-looking middle-aged man dressed in an expensive black-colored suit and tie, a few expensive looking rings bearing diamonds and other rare-looking jewels adorning his plump, fat fingers. Smirking slightly to himself, the man would rise up from his seat, chuckling softly to himself. "It's been quite a while…Noa Lightfellow."


	2. Chapter 2: Noa, Abducted!

Chapter 2

Noa, abducted?! I'll never abandon my Nakama!

Obviously startled by the presence of this strange man within her home, Noa fell back a few steps, hand reaching up to grip the handle of her boomerang as she stared at the stranger with a mixed expression of both fear and hatred. "You…why are you here?!" She demanded. "I've already made this month's payment. You have no right to just-"

The young female was cut off as the man let out a dark chuckle, holding his hands out in a supposed gesture of peace, shaking his head back and forth and clicking his tongue slightly. "Noa, Noa, Noa…no need to act so hostile. After all, your father was one of my best 'clients.' I even considered him a close friend of mine. That is, of course…before his unfortunate demise."

"Don't give me that crap!" Noa yelled, eyes wide, her face flushed slightly with anger. "You're no friend of me or my father! The only thing you ever cared about was squeezing us for ever last Beli we were worth!"

"Always making me out to be the bad one…" The man took in a deep sigh, taking a large cigar out of his coat pocket before lifting it to his mouth and lighting it, inhaling deeply before breathing out through his nose, filling the room with a foul-smelling gray smoke. "Business is business, my dear. While I'll admit he did an exemplary job charting the skies of South Breeze, this does not change the fact that he borrowed quite a lot of money from me in order to pursue his dream. After all…it's not my fault he died before he could pay back his entire loan."

"That's bullshit, and you know it is!" Noa countered. "We paid back every last Beli of what we borrowed! And yet you still hound us for more. You've never been anything but a good for nothing loan-shark!" The young girl shook her head violently. "I wish my father would have seen you for the con-artist you are!"

The man's eyes narrowed slightly at this. "You managed to pay back the original amount that was borrowed, yes. But loans compound interest over time, my dear. And I'm afraid that interest has piled up quite a lot over the years, and the longer you go without paying, the more your debt will grow."

"Then why are you here? Why do you keep hounding me like this?!" Noa demanded. "I've been making my payments on time. Paying the ridiculous amounts you ask of me. I barely have enough money to live on because of you! And yet still no matter what I do, you keep coming back asking for more and more. The interest rate was unreasonable to begin with. You're nothing more then a good-for-nothing parasite. Get out of my house. I'm not paying you another cent!"

"I see it will be impossible to negotiate with you while you're in this state…" The man sighed as he turned to leave. "Very well then. I will come back later tonight. I would watch my back if I were you though, Noa Lightfellow. I do not take kindly to insults…you may very well find yourself in a world of trouble should you chose to oppose me."

"Get out!" Noa snarled, tightening her grip on her boomerang as if to strengthen her point. Shaking his head slightly, the man turned to leave, disappearing through the door and closing it behind him. Once he was gone, the young female sank into a chair, letting out a deep sigh and covering her forehead with her palm. "Dammit…" She muttered to herself. "I'm not sure how much longer I can go on like this."

About an hour or so passed, in which the young female simply sat in a sort of daze, unable to come up with any solution for this problem. Her body tensed, however, as she heard the front door to her home, which had been left unlocked, opening once more. Rising to her feet, she could feel her anger from earlier returning as she gripped the handle of her boomerang, ready to pull it free if her visitor proved to be who she thought he was. "Damn you! I thought I told you to go away already!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Throwing his arms up in front of his body in a defensive manner, Orlandu winced visibly as he prepared to duck out of the way of Noa's boomerang should his friend choose to send it flying in his general direction. "Calm down! It's just me." He stated, before quirking a brow slightly. "Is this a bad time?"

"O-Orlandu…" A somewhat sheepish expression crossed Noa's face as she sank back into her chair. "Sorry. I thought you were someone else."

"Hm?" Orlandu lifted a brow at this. "Someone been bothering you?"

"I-It's nothing." Noa replied with a tired looking smile. "Don't worry about it. I wouldn't want to get you involved with my problems anyway." The girl seemed to resume her normal, cheery demeanor as she turned to the refrigerator. "Now…let me see about getting some dinner started. That's why you're here, right?"

"Y-yeah." Orlandu replied, lowering his gaze slightly. He could clearly tell there was something wrong with his friend, however he didn't want to press her if she didn't want to talk about it.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Noa asked with a slight chuckle. "Normally you get all excited about my cooking. But today you're all somber and moody."

"It's nothing. I'm just a little worried about you is all." Orlandu replied. "You seem a little down yourself."

"Like. I. Said." Noa sighed, enunciating each word as he set about picking out the ingredients for the meal she was planning to prepare. "Don't worry about it. I've got it under control."

"If you say so." Orlandu replied, a light smirk crossing his face. "So what's on the menu for today."

"Hmm…well I've got some leftover spaghetti from last time I went shopping so…" Noa chuckled softly. "How about seafood pasta? I bought from fresh fish yesterday and have been looking to make use of it before it goes bad."

"Sounds good to me." Orlandu said with a slight nod, his stomach giving off a light rumble. "One thing's for sure, Noa, I'll never go hungry with you around."

"Oh really now?" Noa asked with an accusatory glance in the male's direction. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were freeloading off me. What kind of work do you do around here anyway? Aside from tinkering with your gliders and such?"

"O-oi. I have a job…" Orlandu remarked in a somewhat indignant manner. "I'm a mechanic, remember? Business has just been…a little slow recently."

"Maybe you should look into working part-time?" Noa suggested as she set to work preparing the meal, putting on a pot of water to boil before setting aside the fish and other ingredients she would be adding to the pasta. "My aunt could always use an extra hand in her shop."

"Tch…forget that…" Orlandu grumbled. "Once I get off this island and hit it big as a Sky Pirate I won't need to worry about having a job anyway."

"Still dreaming big, I see." Noa sighed as she set about fixing up the rest of the food. About thirty minutes or so passed and eventually she dished up two heaping servings of her homemade seafood pasta, setting one in front of Orlandu before sitting down across from him. "Dig in. I know you have a big appetite so I made plenty."

"Thanks. Don't mind it I do." Orlandu replied, digging into the meal with gusto. As the two ate, the young male gradually began to forget about all about the distress and uneasiness his friend had been displaying earlier. Finishing off his meal, the youth patted his full stomach with a satisfied sigh, nodding slightly. "Whew…delicious as always. You should stop working part-time for your Aunt and think about opening your own restaurant."

"You flatter me." Noa chuckled. "I'm not that good yet. Besides…" A somewhat distant expression crossed the girl's face. "I want to continue my father's work. He managed to achieve fame by charting the skies of South Breeze, but his dream was to map the entirety of the Four Skies. I want to achieve that dream for him, someday…"

"Hmm…? Who's dreaming big now? Weren't you telling me just a moment ago that I should give up on becoming a Sky Pirate and settle down here in R'oak?" Orlandu asked with a faint smirk.

"O-oh! Quiet you!" Noa blushed somewhat indignantly, huffing at her friend. "Girls are allowed to dream too, you know. I won't forgive you if you go running off somewhere without me."

"Got it." Orlandu replied with a nod. "When I make it big as a Sky Pirate you'll definitely be my Navigator. 'Sides…without you along who's gonna cook for me everyday."

"Ugh! You ungrateful jerk! See if I ever make dinner for you again." Noa growled in mock anger, throwing her spoon at the youth.

Dodging the spoon, Orlandu prepared to retaliate by picking up his own to throw back at his friend, only to stop short as a loud pounding suddenly came at the door. "Eh? Who could that be?"

It seemed the youth would be spared the trouble of going to find out, however, as at that very instant the door would suddenly be kicked in, revealing a tall, rough looking man dressed in black-colored suit and tie. "Is Noa Lightfellow here?" One of them demanded, looking over to the girl from behind the dark sunglasses his wore, hiding his eyes from view. "I'm afraid I must ask you to come with us. Our boss would like a word with you." He stated. "I'm afraid he will not take no for an answer. Please come with me quietly. I would prefer not to have to use force on a young lady such as yourself."

"You lot again?!" Noa would snarl, rising from her seat and drawing her boomerang from the holster on her back. "I thought I told you to get lost!"

"Eh…?" Narrowing his eyes slightly, Orlandu would glare slightly at the two suited men before looking back to Noa. "What are you talking about, Noa? Who the hell are these guys?"

"Stay out of this, Orlandu." Noa would reply calmly, though the anger was still present in her eyes. "I should have done this a long time ago. I've allowed myself to be pushed around by you thugs for far too long!" With a loud battle-cry, the girl would suddenly lunge forward of the first of the two suited men, kicking off the from the ground and wielding her heavy boomerang as if it were a club, swinging it in a wide arc she aimed for his head.

"I see. If you're that adamant then I suppose there's no choice." Reaching out, the suited man would easily catch Noa's boomerang with one hand, narrowing his eyes slightly as his other arm would dart out to seize her by the throat whilst she was still in the air, squeezing slightly. "You will come with us, whether it's of your own free will or not."

Gasping out for air, Noa would drop her weapon, the wooden boomerang falling to the ground with a dull clank as her hands darted up to grab at the man's hand, trying to pry it away from her throat as she struggled within his grasp.

"Bastards…" Clenching his jaw in anger, Orlandu decided he had seen enough. "I don't know who the hell you are, but no one hurts my nakama and gets away with it!" He snarled, blue-colored eyes seeming to blaze with a fearless courage as he recklessly rushed foreword to aim a strong punch towards the man's chest.

"Foolish boy." Reaching up with his free hand, the suited man would easily catch the boy's fist in his palm, squeezing it tightly within his grasp. "I am a master of Judo. Did you really think you'd be able to stop me with your feeble blows."

"D-damn it…" Orlandu winced slightly in pain as his fist was squeezed. "W-what the hell is with this guy's strength? It's inhuman!"

"My power comes from years of physical and mental training. There's no way a brat like you would ever be able to overpower me." The man would growl, releasing his grip on Noa and letting the girl fall to the ground for the time being before lunging out with his other hand to grab the boy by the throat and toss him over the shoulder, causing him to crash through the window and go flying directly into a nearby fruit-vendor's stand, completely wrecking the display as the youth collided with it, breaking the wooden structure in too.

"Orlandu!" Quickly rising to her feet, Noa would seize her boomerang once more, only to be quickly knocked out by a sharp palm strike to her stomach before she could attack, gasping out for air as she slowly began to lose consciousness slumping over the man's outstretched arm before being lifted up and over his shoulder as he would make his way out onto the street with the girl in tow.

Attracted by the commotion outside, many of the town's residents would gather to see what was going on, looking on in horror as the suited man made his way through the crowd, heading towards the harbor whilst carrying Noa's unconscious body over his shoulder. "Everyone stand clear!" He would bark at the onlookers. "This girl is wanted by my employer, the mafia boss, Igor Malkinson! Unless you would risk invoking his wrath, I suggest you let me pass!"

"Wait, please! I beg of you!" A middle aged woman would rush out from the crowd, falling to her knees in front of Noa's abductor. "P-Please…don't take Noa away! We'll raise the money to pay off the debt somehow! If you must take a prisoner…then take me instead!"

"You are the girl's aunt, correct?" The man would look down at the woman from behind his dark glasses, his expression cold. "I am afraid it is far too late for that. This girl has personally insulted my boss…and now she must pay. As for taking you…I'm afraid you are of no value to my employer." He stated. "The girl, however, is still young. I'm sure she'll fetch a fine price if we sell her as a slave. More then enough to pay off the remainder of the debt she owes us."

"S-surely you wouldn't!" The woman gasped in horror. "Human trade was outlawed by the World Government years ago! There's no way you'd get away with something like that!"

"Naïve woman. Even after the chaos caused by the former pirate king, Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat's 300 years ago, the Tenryuubito still rule in the holy land of Mariejoa to this day. I'm afraid the slave trade and human auctions in the Sabaody Archipelago still run strong even in this new day and age." The man would reply. "Now stand aside!" Kicking the women to the side, the man would continue on his way towards the harbor

A concerned murmur would rise from the crowd at the man's words and his violent behavior towards Noa's aunt, but no one else would step forward to contest the man's actions, allowing him to pass as he made his way towards a large airship that was currently docked at the harbor.

"Ungh…damn…" Rising up from the ruins of the vendor stand he had crashed into, Orlandu groaned slightly as he lifted a hand to his forehead. "Damn that sunglasses-wearing bastard! I swear I'll get him for hurting Noa! Where the hell did he go!?"

"Orlandu-kun!" Rising back to her feet, Noa's aunt would rush over to the youth's side. "Are you alright? I'm surprised you're still conscious after taking a blow like that…"

"You kidding me? I've taken worse damage crashing in my glider." The youth would growl as he dusted off his clothing, seeming a bit beaten and bruised from the impact, but otherwise fine. "More importantly, where did that suited bastard get to? I've got to go rescue Noa!"  
"Wait, Orlandu! You mustn't!" The woman would reach up to place a restraining hand on the youth's shoulder. "That man…he clearly works for Igor Malkinson…a powerful mob boss who operates in this area of South Breeze. I'm afraid you'd be no match for them. We'll just have to state our cause to the Aeronauts and hope they can help…"

"The Aeronauts?!" Orlandu spat in disgust. "Since when have those bastards done anything for us!? By the time they take action it'll be too late!" He growled. "But why would the mob be after Noa in the first place…?"

"It was quite some time ago…before either of you were born." Noa's aunt would explain. "Noa's father. Chris Lightfellow…he wanted to achieve his dream of being the first navigator to chart the entirety of the Four Skies." She stated. "But he lacked the funds to do so. That was when Malkinson approached him. He said he would provide him with an airship and the resources he needed…for a price. Chris readily agreed, thinking of nothing but pursuing his dream, thinking that the money he'd make from selling his maps once they were completed would be more then enough to pay off Malkinson's fine." She paused briefly, gaze turning to the ground. "But he died before he could achieve his dream. Though he managed to chart the entirety of South Breeze, he never managed to make it to the other 3 Skies, and though he achieved great fame for this task, the money he made from selling his maps wasn't nearly enough to pay off Malkinson's fines." She took in a deep sigh, fighting back the tears that were forming in her eyes. "The interest began to grow. Malkinson demanded that the fines still be paid off…so the task of paying Chris's debt fell upon his only daughter Noa. We helped her, naturally, making monthly payments in order to meet his demands. But the interest kept building and building until soon, it became too much. Noa's confronted Malkinson several times…stating quite adamantly that she no longer intends to pay him…and I guess now he's finally lost patience with her insubordination and has decided to make an example of her."

"I see…so that's what's going on." Orlandu replied. "That doesn't change the fact that Malkinson is a dirty, deceiving bastard though. That's it! I've decided!" The youth announced, tightening his hands into fists. "I'm gonna kick that bastard's ass and rescue Noa, no matter what it takes!"

"S-surely you can't be serious!" Noa's aunt protested. "These are trained criminals we're talking about! You managed to survive without serious injury this time around, but if you cross them again, they'll kill you!"

"I don't care." Orlandu growled. "Noa is my only friend…the only one who ever took my dream of becoming a Sky Pirate seriously. She's the only one who believed me when I said that Arimyth really does exist, and that I'll find it one day." The youth clenched his teeth together in anger, his eyes burning with the same conviction that they had shown when he had selflessly rushed forward to defend Noa before. Strangely, as his blue-colored eyes gleamed with his determination, the otherwise dull crystal he wore around his neck also seemed to glint with the same, azure-blue colored light. "I promised her…that once I got my own airship…I'd take her into the skies so she could finish her father's dream of charting the Four Skies. She's my precious nakama and…I'll…" The youth pumped his fists into the air, letting loose a shout that would shake the very foundations of the town. "I'LL NEVER ABANDON MY NAKAMA!" Kicking off of the ground, the youth made a mad dash for the harbor, fully intending to rescue Noa from the clutches of Makinson and his gang of thugs, no matter what it took.

"Foolish, reckless boy…" Wiping a few tears from her eyes, Noa's aunt couldn't help but smile softly to herself. "Still…he has more courage then the rest of us combined. Good luck, Orlandu. If anyone can save Noa, you can. I just hope…the two of you come back alive…"

To Be Continued…


End file.
